M YZANTH A GARRUL A^ Vig. and Horsf, \ 
Garrulous Honey-eater. 
Merops garrulus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. xxiv. 
Chattering Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p. 154. — Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. via. p. 171. 
Chattering Honey -eater. Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 164. 
Philemon garrulus, Vieill. 2nd edit, du Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxvii. p. 427.— Ib. Ency. Meth. Orn., Part ii. 
p. 616 . 
Myzantha garrula, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 319. 
Cobaygin, Aborigines of New South Wales. 
Miner, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land. 
Van Diemen’s Land, and all parts of the colonies of New South Wales and South Australia, are alike 
inhabited by this well-known bird. It has never yet been observed in northern or western Australia, its 
place being supplied in those parts of the country by other nearly allied species. On comparing examples 
from Van Diemen’s Land with others killed on the continent of Australia, a difference is found to exist in 
their relative admeasurements, the Van Diemen’s Land birds being more robust and larger in every 
respect ; still as not the slightest difference is observable in the markings of their plumage, I consider them 
to be merely local varieties and not distinct species. 
The natural habits of this bird lead it to frequent the thinly timbered forests of Eucalypti clothing the 
plains and low hills, rather than the dense brushes, and so local is it and so exclusively does it confine 
itself to such situations that the edge of a river frequently forms the boundary of its habitat : for instance, it 
is very abundant on the northern side of the Derwent near Hobart Town, yet never did I meet with it on 
the opposite shore during the whole of my stay in Van Diemen’s Land excepting many miles up the river, 
where the trees and land on both sides appear equally suitable to its habits. 
The Garrulous“Honey-eater is not truly gregarious, but moves about in small flocks of from four to ten in 
number. In disposition it is unlike any other bird I ever met with, for if its haunts be in the least intruded 
upon it becomes the most restless and inquisitive creature possible, and withal so bold and noisy that it is 
regarded as a troublesome nuisance rather than an object of interest ; no sooner does the hunter come 
within the precincts of its abode than the whole troop assemble round him and perform the most grotesque 
actions, spreading out their wings and tail, hanging from the branches in every possible variety of position, 
and sometimes suspended by one leg, keeping up all the time one incessant babbling note : were this only 
momentary or for a short time, their droll attitudes and singular note would be rather amusing than 
otherwise ; but when they follow you through the entire forest, leaping and flying from branch to branch, and 
almost buffeting the dogs, they become very troublesome and annoying, awakening as they do the suspicions 
of the other animals of which you are in pursuit. 
The food of this bird is of a mixed character, for although it loves to dwell among the branches of the 
flowering Eucalypti , from the pollen of the flowers of which it obtains much genial food, it preys with 
avidity upon insects, both those resorting to the flowers of the gum-trees and those — coleoptera, &c. — 
peculiar to the ground ; it is consequently often to be seen descending in pursuit of insects, particularly 
under the large trees on the grassy open plains. The stomach is of the same diminutive size as the rest of 
the Honey-eaters, but, as might he supposed from the varied character of the food, is much more muscular. 
The nest is cup-shaped and about the size of that of the European Thrush, very neatly built of fine twigs 
and coarse grass, and lined either with wool and hair, or fine soft hair-like strips of bark, frequently mixed 
with feathers : it is usually placed among the small upright branches of a moderately sized tree. The eggs, 
which are thirteen lines long by nine and a half lines broad, are of a bluish white, marked all over with 
reddish brown, without any indication of the zone at the larger end so frequently observable in the egg s of 
other species. 
The sexes offer no other external difference than that the female is a trifle smaller than her mate. 
Face grey ; crown of the head dull black ; ear-coverts and a crescent-shaped mark inclining upwards to 
the angle of the bill glossy black ; all the upper surface light greyish brown ; the feathers at the back of 
the neck tipped with silvery grey ; primaries dark brown margined externally with grey ; secondaries dark 
brown on their inner webs, the outer webs grey at the tip, and wax-yellow at the base ; tail greyish brown, 
with dark brown shafts, and all but the two centre feathers largely tipped with brownish white ; chin grey, 
a patch of dark brown down the centre ; under surface grey ; the feathers of the breast with a narrow 
crescent-shaped mark of brown near the tip of each ; irides dark hazel ; naked space beneath the eye, bill 
and feet yellow. 
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size, drawn from specimens killed in Van Diemen’s 
Land. 
